Non-skid pallet plastic surface component

ABSTRACT

A pallet has a plastic pallet deck or other pallet plastic surface component including an anti-skid surface, which may be, for example, embossed, applied as a sheet during an extrusion process, applied by calendaring or applied with adhesive.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 60/655,793, filed Feb. 23, 2005, and and is acontinuation-in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/729,615,filed Dec. 5, 2003, which is a divisional of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 09/938,954, filed Aug. 24, 2001, which claimed priority to U.S.Provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/227,537, filed Aug. 24, 2000,the entire contents of each of which are specifically incorporatedherein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to pallets including plastic surfacecomponents, particularly pallets used for transporting miscellaneousindustrial and commercial goods by means of forklift devices and thelike.

BACKGROUND

It is a problem that plastic pallets have plastic decks or other plasticsurfaces that tend to have low friction coefficients and are slippery,as compared to decks of wood pallets, especially when the environment iscold. Thus, objects put on the deck will be more prone to slide off thedeck during movement of the pallet.

It is also undesirable to have to secure the load to the pallet.Providing the deck surface with raised features such as projections, orotherwise texturing the deck, might be effective but they tend to wearand can make cleaning the deck difficult. There is room in the art forimprovement with regard to decks and other plastic surface componentsthat have low friction coefficients and are slippery.

SUMMARY

The above described and other problems in the art are overcome oralleviated by the present plastic pallet deck or other pallet plasticsurface component having a non-skid surface. In one exemplaryembodiment, a plastic pallet deck or other pallet plastic surfacecomponent includes a non-skid surface embossed or calendared directlythereon.

In another exemplary embodiment, a plastic pallet deck or other palletplastic surface component includes a non-skid film or layer attachedthereto.

In another exemplary embodiment, a plastic pallet deck or other palletplastic surface component includes spaced apart pieces of materialhaving a higher coefficient of friction than the plastic, such asSantoprene material. The frictional material may comprise strips or maybe continuous across the surface.

In another exemplary embodiment, where the plastic pallet deck or otherpallet plastic surface component is extruded as a sheet and attached toa base, the antifriction material is applied as a sheet at the exit ofthe plastic extruder. In another exemplary embodiment, the antifrictionsheet is applied during a calendaring process.

In another exemplary embodiment, the pallet plastic surface component isa plastic leader board of a slatted wood pallet, which plastic leaderboard includes a non-skid surface.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the presentpallet will become more apparent from the following description ofexemplary embodiments and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the accompanying FIGURES, which are meant to beexemplary and not limiting:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary deck including an non-skidsurface;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary deck including strips ofnon-skid surface material;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of an exemplary deck, mounted on a baseand including an embedded non-skid surface;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an exemplary pallet including a framesurface portion with a non-skid surface; and

FIG. 5 is a top elevation view of a wooden pallet with non-skid plasticleader boards.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of a plastic upper deckis shown generally at 112. Upper deck 112 includes a skeletalsub-structure defined by ribs 113 and cross beams 115 arranged andsupported by each other, as is shown. Ribs 113 are spaced parallel toeach other and are traversed by cross beams 115 in a grid patternarrangement. An integument 117 comprising a thin, puncture resistantfilm is disposed over at least one surface of the skeletal sub-structureof upper deck 112 and is fused to ribs 113 and cross beams 115 toprovide a surface upon which objects can be loaded. Integument 117 isconfigured and dimensioned to prevent or at least minimize theprobability of penetration of the surfaces of upper deck 112 by sharpobjects. Integument 117 may include a non-skid surface 17 embossed orcalendared directly thereon, or it may include a non-skid film or layerattached thereto. The total non-skid surface coverage of upper deck 112can be up to and in excess of about 30% of strategically locatednon-skid material. In another exemplary embodiment, non-skid coverage isbetween about 85% and 100%. In another exemplary embodiment, non-skidcoverage is about 100%.

Referring now to FIG. 2, an exemplary pallet 20 includes a moldedthermoplastic base 24, comprising vertical columns 30 connected by rails28. The base may be one piece or an assembly. Deck 26, which in oneexemplary embodiment is thermoplastic, such as HDPE or PP, is attachedto the top of the columns 30. The illustrated deck has an essentiallyplanar top surface with a multiplicity of spaced apart strips 22 ofanti-skid material, such as the product Santoprene (Product No. 20164,General Purpose Elastomer Systems, Akron, Ohio). In an alternateexemplary embodiment, the whole deck top may be surfaced with Santoprenematerial or the like. In an exemplary embodiment, anti-skid material isa sheet, which may may be applied in various ways, including byadhesives.

In another exemplary embodiment, the deck 26 is extruded as a thicksheet and the anti-skid material, e.g., Santoprene, is adhered to thesheet so that it is integral. In one mode, the deck is fitted with theanti-skid material at the extruder die exit. Anti-skid material inpellet or semi-molten form is fed into a particularly constructed die,so that it is integrally molded into and formed with the thermoplasticdeck sheet during the extrusion process.

Alternately, the thermoplastic is extruded as a sheet from the extruderin conventional manner, and runs to a calendaring machine. Anti-skidmaterial may be provided as a previously formed strip, on a multiplicityof rolls, according to how many strips the maker desires to have on thedeck surface. The anti-skid strip is drawn from the roll is laid ontothe just-formed and still-hot thermoplastic sheet. Then, the two runtogether through the rolls of a calendaring machine. The anti-skid stripis pressed into the sheet, to become integral with it.

Referring now to FIG. 3, an exemplary embodiment illustrates anti-skidmaterial that is embedded in the deck 26. In such embodiments, withoutlimitation, anti-skid material may be deposited, adhered, molded, etc.in depressions in the deck (or indeed, in any surface component of thepallet). Also, in such embodiment, applied strips of anti-skid material22 are less prone to coming loose during use. Without being limiting, anexemplary deck 26 installed on a pallet has a thickness t1 of about 70mils and the anti-skid layer thickness t2 is about 10 mils. Withoutbeing limited, other materials may be used as anti-skid materials, forinstance rubbery elastomers and other known materials which will adhereto plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, etc., with or withoutthe use of adhesive layers.

Referring now to FIG. 4, an exemplary pallet 20 includes a deck 26secured to an upper frame portion 32. The exemplary upper frame portion32 is connected to rails 28 by columns 30. The deck 26 may be metal,plastic or any other material, and may be recessed within, bolted onto,overmolded within, etc., the upper frame portion 32. The plastic frameis illustrated as including a non-skid surface 17, which may be in anyform described above, including strip or film material 22.

Referring now to FIG. 5, an exemplary pallet 40 includes woodenstringers 42 and slats 44, as well as plastic leader boards 46. Slats 44and leader boards 46 are illustrated as bolted to stringers 42 withfasteners 48. The plastic leader boards 46 is illustrated as including anon-skid surface 17, which may be in any form described above, includingstrip or film material 22.

Although this invention has been shown and described with respect to aexemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in thisart that various changes in form and detail thereof may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.

1. A pallet, comprising: at least one plastic surface component, whereinsaid plastic surface component includes a non-skid surface at leastpartially provided thereon.
 2. A pallet in accordance with claim 1,wherein said plastic surface component comprises a plastic deck.
 3. Apallet in accordance with claim 2, wherein said non-skid surfacecomprises an embossed or calendared non-skid surface.
 4. A pallet inaccordance with claim 2, wherein said non-skid surface comprises anon-skid film or layer attached to the deck surface.
 5. A pallet inaccordance with claim 2, wherein said non-skid surface comprises spacedapart pieces of material having a higher coefficient of friction thanthe plastic.
 6. A pallet in accordance with claim 2, wherein saidnon-skid surface is provided over 30 percent of the deck surface.
 7. Apallet in accordance with claim 2, wherein said non-skid surface isprovided above 85 percent of the deck surface.
 8. A pallet in accordancewith claim 2, wherein said non-skid surface comprises a layer ofmaterial extruded with said deck.
 9. A pallet in accordance with claim2, wherein said non-skid surface comprises an anti-skid materialembedded in or provided in a recess of the deck surface.
 10. A pallet inaccordance with claim 1, wherein said surface component comprises aplastic frame.
 11. A pallet in accordance with claim 10, wherein saidnon-skid surface comprises an embossed or calendared non-skid surface.12. A pallet in accordance with claim 10, wherein said non-skid surfacecomprises a non-skid film or layer attached to the frame surface.
 13. Apallet in accordance with claim 10, wherein said non-skid surfacecomprises spaced apart pieces of material having a higher coefficient offriction than the plastic.
 14. A pallet in accordance with claim 10,wherein said non-skid surface is provided over 30 percent of the framesurface.
 15. A pallet in accordance with claim 10, wherein said non-skidsurface is provided above 85 percent of the frame surface.
 16. A palletin accordance with claim 10, wherein said non-skid surface comprises alayer of material extruded with said frame.
 17. A pallet in accordancewith claim 10, wherein said non-skid surface comprises an anti-skidmaterial embedded in or provided in a recess of the frame surface.
 18. Apallet in accordance with claim 1, wherein said surface componentcomprises a plastic leader board on a wooded pallet.
 19. A pallet inaccordance with claim 18, wherein said non-skid surface comprises anembossed or calendared non-skid surface.
 20. A pallet in accordance withclaim 18, wherein said non-skid surface comprises a non-skid film orlayer attached to the leader board surface.
 21. A pallet in accordancewith claim 18, wherein said non-skid surface comprises spaced apartpieces of material having a higher coefficient of friction than theplastic.
 22. A pallet in accordance with claim 18, wherein said non-skidsurface is provided over 30 percent of the leader board surface.
 23. Apallet in accordance with claim 18, wherein said non-skid surface isprovided above 85 percent of the leader board surface.
 24. A pallet inaccordance with claim 18, wherein said non-skid surface comprises alayer of material extruded with said leader board.
 25. A pallet inaccordance with claim 18, wherein said non-skid surface comprises ananti-skid material embedded in or provided in a recess of the leaderboard surface.